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Mitt Romney in Massachusetts: The lost years

Romney is shielding himself from the charge that he’s a hidden centrist. | AP Photo

Romney’s advisers say the time for talking about Massachusetts was four years ago, when he was a relative unknown on the national stage trying to establish a reputation. Voters, they say, know all about his government service now, so it makes sense to weave it into a broader leadership package that encompasses Massachusetts, Bain and the Olympics.

If Bain and the Olympics get top billing, a senior campaign adviser told POLITICO, it’s because Romney wants to differentiate himself from his opponents.

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“We are happy to compare Mitt Romney’s career as a successful businessman and a fiscally responsible governor with President Obama’s failed economic agenda and liberal policies,” Williams said. "Obama and [Vice President Joe] Biden are both career politicians who have never had any meaningful experience in the private sector. This president is an economic lightweight who doesn’t understand how the economy works and continues to propose more of the same taxes, spending and regulations that are killing jobs.”

Democrats, including Patrick, say such claims should be measured against what they claim is Romney’s subpar performance in Massachusetts.

“He doesn’t talk about his time as governor because it doesn’t tell the story he is selling,” Patrick said. “We were 47th in job creation. … I don’t think he’s a bad guy, and he’s always been good to me, … but the whole host of reforms folks have talked about for decades — he didn’t get ’em done, we got ’em done.

“Mr. Fix It didn’t fix it.”

While Bain is the focus now, Democrats say they are likely to bring up Massachusetts more and more as the campaign rolls on, focusing on the state’s anemic job growth during Romney’s term, led by a big decline in industrial employment, an increase in the state’s long-term debt load under his stewardship and a $750 million increase in taxes and fees on state residents, revenue enhancements that prompted the conservative Cato Institute in 2006 to label Romney’s no-tax hikes pledge “mostly a myth.”

At his NATO press conference in Chicago this week, Obama said attacks on Bain are fair game precisely because that’s where Romney is focusing his pitch.

“His main calling card for why he thinks he should be president is his business expertise,” Obama said. “He is not going out there touting his experience in Massachusetts. He is saying, ‘I’m a business guy and I know how to fix it,’ and this is his business.”

Republicans say they would love to debate Romney’s record as governor — because he has a better track record than Obama of stimulating job growth without massive new public spending.

“Governor Romney is running as someone whose experience as a successful governor is an important asset as he makes his case for fixing the American economy and putting the country back on track,” longtime Romney adviser Kevin Madden said in an email.

“By pointing to the fact that, as a successful governor, he came into office and wiped away a massive budget deficit while instituting government reforms, he can offer the American people an idea of the type [of] reforms and fiscal conservatism he would bring to Washington.”

Mitt Romney was 47th in job creation while governor of Massachusetts. Of course Romney wants his term in Mass. to get lost. Romneys past tax returns are also lost! So are the emails he destroyed in Mass.

While Bain is the focus now, Democrats say they are likely to bring up Massachusetts more and more as the campaign rolls on, focusing on the state’s anemic job growth during Romney’s term, led by a big decline in industrial employment, an increase in the state’s long-term debt load under his stewardship and a $750 million increase in taxes and fees on state residents, revenue enhancements that prompted the conservative Cato Institute in 2006 to label Romney’s no-tax hikes pledge “mostly a myth.”

Everything written above is about Obama, not Romney!

Glenn Thrush is not a journalist but political hack for the Obama and DNC.

To early to tell if the Bain Attacks have worked or not! I know Obamas Approval numbers are going up Rasmussen has him at 51% today! OBAMA / 2012

If having a real job.... one which drives the efficient allocation of capiital...one which makes sure new, effect businessin model es live, older ones are restructured and old models go away this economy will die.

In the Hussein model - we would still have the greatest bully whips for horses....

As Obamas Approval ratings go up so will his presidential tracking poll. Thanks to Obama if you noticed gas is getting cheaper and that will help the economy. New housing sales are also up. Come November the economy will be booming and Obama will be reelected!!

Is that before or after he inherited the reins from a Liberal STATE government.

After all the progressive policies put in place in that State for decades, he had about as much chance of correcting anything in one Governors term facing of with a Dem/Lib controlled State Legislature. Romney had about as much chance fixing that mess as Schwarzenegger did in CA.

Outside of RomneyCare, his record as Governor is excellent. He turned a deficit into a surplus, balanced the budget, cut taxes, and did it all in the face of overwhelmingly Democrat majorities in the legislature.